Great Energy is in the town of Springville (population 2,000), at an elevation of 1,000 ft, in the foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. North east of Los Angeles, the drive takes less than three hours; south east of San Francisco, the drive will take about four and a half hours. Three miles from Sequoia National Monument, you can hike, ski, cycle, rock climb, or just sit on smooth granite slabs while the Tule river crashes beside you. Great Energy is surrounded on three sides by cattle land. Guests can leave directly from the house and hike for hours with spectacular views of the High Sierra; and depending on the time of year, one can see the coast range as well.

The suite includes a sitting room with a couch, table, VCR and CD player, movies and interesting books. The sitting room also has a door opening to the pool (heated May through September). In addition to a shower, the huge bathroom includes a Jacuzzi tub; great for romantic weekends. For a small additional charge, (if there are no prior reservations) you can request to be the only guests and have the pool entirely to yourselves.

The upstairs room has a queen size bed that is surrounded by windows so that you feel like you are flying in the foothills, heading for the sierras. This room has a private bathroom with a shower.

The regular room has a queen bed and an adjacent bath. This bathroom has a steam room that is available for any of the guests. This room works well as additional space for groups of friends or for those who have children. It is also perfect for those wanting to spend a little less money and a little more time outside. Special rates are available for those who book more than one room at a time.

Continental breakfast is included (you may request what you'd like), and there are several restaurants in town (.2 mile) for other meals. Massages can be arranged if you request them ahead of time.

Though most visitors spend their time in bed or by the clothing optional pool, there are also lots of outdoor activities in the area. You can hike behind the house for hours (I've linked up the cattle trails), wander along the Tule river (Sequoia National Monument) -- a five minute drive to the trailhead, go for long country road bike rides (virtually no traffic), cross country ski (45 minutes up the road -- everything from an easy ski to amazing views, to our own telemark peak); rock climb (I can teach you at the house or in the mountains) or ride horses (out of my friend's ranch).